Author Topic: EP300: We go back  (Read 31427 times)

JoeFitz

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Reply #75 on: July 24, 2011, 08:16:47 PM
While I did enjoy this story, I confess I groaned when Jenny reveals that she's gay.

+1. I did too, out loud.

Otherwise a fairly enjoyable YA story. I probably would have liked it more when I was 15 myself, lo these many years ago. Was a little disappointed not to hear a "classic" but I got over it.




acpracht

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Reply #76 on: July 26, 2011, 09:38:02 PM
Well, it can be somewhat difficult to get the rights for older stories that aren't yet in the public domain. As I understanding it, working with authors' estates can be a bit challenging/time consuming, which is difficult when you're trying to release a podcast on a timely schedule.

True, yes, but it's not like it's a big surprise that numbers will progress in order until you get to 300. That is, you know it's coming; if you want to do something special, work ahead. (Hint: Now a good time to be thinking about 400.  ;))

I don't mean to sound like sour grapes. I love Escape Pod and have from the start. I guess I was just... expecting expensive champagne and flowers for our special day and got Sam Adams and pretzels instead. I like both, but the second just doesn't seem as special...

(As an aside, what are anniversaries and birthdays but arbitrary dates? ... but don't you feel bad if yours got missed?)



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Reply #77 on: August 10, 2011, 08:33:13 PM
(As an aside, what are anniversaries and birthdays but arbitrary dates? ... but don't you feel bad if yours got missed?)

Eh, not to keep picking at this one, but...

It didn't get missed. Mur commissioned a story from Tim Pratt. So to follow your allusion: it may not have been the party you thought it would be, but there was a party :)


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Reply #78 on: August 11, 2011, 12:51:34 PM
I'm stymied. Maybe it's because my family doesn't do big things for birthdays, but the fact that there is so much discussion about something that happened twice -- just twice -- before not happening again. If you want a tour through the classics, maybe it would be a good idea to suggest to Mur that we do a month-long run of them, or maybe we could make the first week of every month for classics, or maybe we could start dropping episodes of OTR SwagCast or similar into the feed -- the possibilities are endless.

I'm trying to be positive here because I know I take these comments to heart too often and should probably not even read this board, but the people that work on this show are a pretty accessible bunch. If you have ideas, share them. If you're disappointed in something, maybe think to yourself "Well, I'm a bit disappointed in that, I wonder what I could do or suggest that might make it better for next time?" before coming here to show off your crank pants. Then mention it to Bill or I and we will absolutely make sure it gets discussed.



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Reply #79 on: August 11, 2011, 02:09:06 PM
I'm stymied. Maybe it's because my family doesn't do big things for birthdays, but the fact that there is so much discussion about something that happened twice -- just twice -- before not happening again. If you want a tour through the classics, maybe it would be a good idea to suggest to Mur that we do a month-long run of them, or maybe we could make the first week of every month for classics, or maybe we could start dropping episodes of OTR SwagCast or similar into the feed -- the possibilities are endless.

I'm trying to be positive here because I know I take these comments to heart too often and should probably not even read this board, but the people that work on this show are a pretty accessible bunch. If you have ideas, share them. If you're disappointed in something, maybe think to yourself "Well, I'm a bit disappointed in that, I wonder what I could do or suggest that might make it better for next time?" before coming here to show off your crank pants. Then mention it to Bill or I and we will absolutely make sure it gets discussed.

Fair enough.  

For me:  
I like the tradition of having a classic story from time to time (not every week, certainly, but scattered here and there).  I realize that getting the rights for these can be a complicated affair, especially when the original author has died, so the landmark of big round numbers seems like a good excuse to go for those.  One can plan far ahead to try to acquire the rights.  Although, yes, big round numbers are arbitrary, they make as much sense as anything as an excuse for a celebration and to do something unusual.  And hey, I like big round numbers.  I'm one of those people that gets excited to watch the odometer roll over 4 zeroes at once (though this is much less fun now that all cars seem to have the digital readouts instead of mechanical wheels).

I like Tim Pratt's writing.  If I had to pick my favorite short story author of all time, he would be my choice, no contest, because I like a much larger percentage of his stories than any other author I've ever read.  Except for one story, all of his stories have fallen in the range of reactions between "Holy crap that was great!" and "That was a fun time well spent."  Much of the reason that he is my favorite is that I've gotten such a superb sampling of his work from the Escape Artists podcasts.  So I am not at all disapproving of having a Pratt story on the podcast.

But, since Pratt IS so often on Escape Artist podcasts (which, again, I am not complaining about), it's hard to see a Tim Pratt story as being a milestone event.  As opposed to, say, a Heinlein or an Asimov or a Philip K. Dick story, fellows who are not on one of the EA podcasts on a regular basis.  And those names, who have been around forever and have had movie adaptations that the general public will have seen, also have the advantage of helping to draw in new listeners who will then hopefully stick around to listen to the rest of the stories.  Let's say if PK Dick's "The Golden Man" were podcasted, then when someone comments (in real life or forum) on that terrible movie "Next" starring Nicolas Cage , then one could say "Well, yeah, that movie did have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.  If you want to hear the original, check out episode 400 of Escape Pod.  It won't even cost you any money to listen, unlike the $10 you paid for that money that you're never getting back."  (I've not read "The Golden Man", but ye gods that was a terrible movie.  I have to believe the PKD version is better)
« Last Edit: August 11, 2011, 02:12:19 PM by Unblinking »



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Reply #80 on: August 11, 2011, 03:37:18 PM
Let's say if PK Dick's "The Golden Man" were podcasted, then when someone comments (in real life or forum) on that terrible movie "Next" starring Nicolas Cage , then one could say "Well, yeah, that movie did have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.  If you want to hear the original, check out episode 400 of Escape Pod.  It won't even cost you any money to listen, unlike the $10 you paid for that money that you're never getting back."  (I've not read "The Golden Man", but ye gods that was a terrible movie.  I have to believe the PKD version is better)

What? I had no idea that Next was based on "The Golden Man" (which was a pretty good story). Now I suppose I'll have to watch it... I mean, I watched Total Recall, Minority Report and Paycheck (that last was really bad).

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Reply #81 on: August 11, 2011, 03:55:25 PM
Let's say if PK Dick's "The Golden Man" were podcasted, then when someone comments (in real life or forum) on that terrible movie "Next" starring Nicolas Cage , then one could say "Well, yeah, that movie did have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.  If you want to hear the original, check out episode 400 of Escape Pod.  It won't even cost you any money to listen, unlike the $10 you paid for that money that you're never getting back."  (I've not read "The Golden Man", but ye gods that was a terrible movie.  I have to believe the PKD version is better)

What? I had no idea that Next was based on "The Golden Man" (which was a pretty good story). Now I suppose I'll have to watch it... I mean, I watched Total Recall, Minority Report and Paycheck (that last was really bad).

Paycheck was really bad.  Next is much, much worse.  I keep on going to PK Dick movies hoping they will not be ruined.  Usually I am disappointed, but I still hold a glimmer of hope.  I thought "A Scanner Darkly" worked pretty well and actually stuck pretty much to the text instead of Hollywoodizing it.



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Reply #82 on: August 11, 2011, 09:47:25 PM
Watch "Next" with the Rifftrax instead!



stePH

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Reply #83 on: August 11, 2011, 11:02:25 PM
Quote from: NetFlix
Las Vegas magician Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) can see a few minutes into the future, a talent he uses to enhance his shows -- and to win at blackjack. But when an FBI agent (Julianne Moore) wants his help thwarting a nuclear attack, Cris finds his psychic skills put to the test.

That's not even remotely based on "The Golden Man". "...can see a few minutes into the future" is the only common element. They wasted their money buying the film rights to the story.

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Unblinking

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Reply #84 on: August 12, 2011, 01:48:15 PM
Quote from: NetFlix
Las Vegas magician Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) can see a few minutes into the future, a talent he uses to enhance his shows -- and to win at blackjack. But when an FBI agent (Julianne Moore) wants his help thwarting a nuclear attack, Cris finds his psychic skills put to the test.

That's not even remotely based on "The Golden Man". "...can see a few minutes into the future" is the only common element. They wasted their money buying the film rights to the story.

Isn't that pretty much how Paycheck went too, just stole the speculative element and absolutely nothing else?



stePH

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Reply #85 on: August 12, 2011, 02:07:04 PM
That's not even remotely based on "The Golden Man". "...can see a few minutes into the future" is the only common element. They wasted their money buying the film rights to the story.

Isn't that pretty much how Paycheck went too, just stole the speculative element and absolutely nothing else?

Most Dick adaptations go that way, keeping a few character names and the premise (I also see Cage's character is named "Cris") but even Paycheck and Total Recall had more elements from their sources identifiable in the films.

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Wilson Fowlie

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Reply #86 on: August 12, 2011, 06:24:22 PM
Quote from: NetFlix
Las Vegas magician Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) can see a few minutes into the future, a talent he uses to enhance his shows -- and to win at blackjack. But when an FBI agent (Julianne Moore) wants his help thwarting a nuclear attack, Cris finds his psychic skills put to the test.

That's not even remotely based on "The Golden Man". "...can see a few minutes into the future" is the only common element. They wasted their money buying the film rights to the story.

Not if their primary objective was to prevent people from making a (better) movie based on the story.

Not that I'm cynical, or anything...

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stePH

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Reply #87 on: August 12, 2011, 07:37:59 PM
That's not even remotely based on "The Golden Man". "...can see a few minutes into the future" is the only common element. They wasted their money buying the film rights to the story.

Not if their primary objective was to prevent people from making a (better) movie based on the story.

Not that I'm cynical, or anything...

...actually, looked it up and found that the story is in the public domain now.

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FireTurtle

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Reply #88 on: August 12, 2011, 09:34:51 PM
That's not even remotely based on "The Golden Man". "...can see a few minutes into the future" is the only common element. They wasted their money buying the film rights to the story.

Isn't that pretty much how Paycheck went too, just stole the speculative element and absolutely nothing else?

Most Dick adaptations go that way, keeping a few character names and the premise (I also see Cage's character is named "Cris") but even Paycheck and Total Recall had more elements from their sources identifiable in the films.
Sorry for contributing to the derail....
Don't forget Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Its been a long while since I read the source material, but IIRC, the Director's Cut of Bladerunner isn't so far off... But, like I said, its been a while.

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acpracht

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Reply #89 on: August 12, 2011, 10:02:24 PM
I'm happy with any of those suggestions. :)
And to your point: I think the fact that it has just happened twice pointed it up that much more for me. I'd actually been counting down for months, anticipating what 300 might be.
That I was dissapointed was more the fault of my anticipation than any editorial choice, but, well, I feels how I feels.
Hope I haven't come off as too "cranky pants." I love EP and everything that you do for us listeners. I have nothing but gratitude.
Still, feedback is requested at the end of every show, so... I take the opportunity. Thanks for making it available.

-Adam
I'm stymied. Maybe it's because my family doesn't do big things for birthdays, but the fact that there is so much discussion about something that happened twice -- just twice -- before not happening again. If you want a tour through the classics, maybe it would be a good idea to suggest to Mur that we do a month-long run of them, or maybe we could make the first week of every month for classics, or maybe we could start dropping episodes of OTR SwagCast or similar into the feed -- the possibilities are endless.

I'm trying to be positive here because I know I take these comments to heart too often and should probably not even read this board, but the people that work on this show are a pretty accessible bunch. If you have ideas, share them. If you're disappointed in something, maybe think to yourself "Well, I'm a bit disappointed in that, I wonder what I could do or suggest that might make it better for next time?" before coming here to show off your crank pants. Then mention it to Bill or I and we will absolutely make sure it gets discussed.



Captain (none given)

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Reply #90 on: August 17, 2011, 11:50:52 PM
So, it's been a long time since I've actually been up to date enough to make a relevant comment about a story. I started listening way back in February of 2007. I remember the first story I heard was The Last Wave by Kay Kenyon. I was fourteen when I started listening and I started because my older brother had recommended it to me since he had been listening to Pseudopod and thought I might like what Escape Pod had to offer.

I have listened to Escape Pod since then (I even got some of the earlier stories going back to The Acid Test) and I was still listening in when Podcastle became its own thing. I listen to both, but that surf rock anthem from Daikaiju still helps me feel at home as I settle into "story time." Growing up listening to Escape Pod then Podcastle (sorry Pseudopod, I haven't worked up the courage to walk through the Dark Forest to your gates yet), it feels as if it is a part of my identity. I don't go to cons or write or blog or anything else like that, but I still feel like I had a community here. A community that had similar ideas and dreams.

Escape Pod opened doors for me. Doors to realms where I could escape to and take solace in the fantastic. The futuristic. The nerdy. The (insert other awesome noun here). It really helped me think and grow. Puberty made me an emotional b****, but the world outside would melt away when I heard the clanging guitar announcing another story before a familiar voice could guide me into another realm. Luckily, I have matured into a normal, if not geeky, young man and I feel like I owe a bit of that to Escape Artists.

So I grew (in multiple meanings of the word) and my horizons expanded. The stories inspired me and I realized the power of art, more specifically literature. Hell, Escape Pod helped me through sophomore English in high school. For part of a thesis project, I had used Friction by Will McIntosh to explain what "poetic" meant.

I'm now in college and I've had to listen to a year's worth of episodes in the last year... I've been inspired to write (thankfully, nothing has been published so far)... I've learned to appreciate a good story... I've learned what one man can do with a dream and how that dream can inspire others. I know that Stephen Eley was not the only man behind the curtain. But I must admit, he's the one who hooked me with his own love of a good story. But now there are new commanders on board the Escape Pod and I want to thank you all. Thank you for 300 episodes. Thank you for the sacrifices you make to keep this thing going. Thank you for appreciating good stories. Thank you for inspiring me.

So... Have fun. Be mighty. And may the Escape Pod continue its unknown trajectory through the void for many, many years.

Ever faithfully your Listener,
Captain (none given)

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DKT

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Reply #91 on: August 18, 2011, 01:05:24 AM
Wow. I just want to say, that may be the coolest comment I've read all year - hell, maybe even longer. Thanks so much for posting that!
« Last Edit: August 18, 2011, 01:08:55 AM by DKT »



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Reply #92 on: August 18, 2011, 02:19:56 PM
Wow. I just want to say, that may be the coolest comment I've read all year - hell, maybe even longer. Thanks so much for posting that!

Hear hear!  Good luck with your writing too, Captain.  It's hard work, but well worth it.  And I hope to see you around the forums, too.  :)



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Reply #93 on: September 06, 2011, 04:02:24 PM
Yes indeed, Captain. And I hope you do stick around on the forums. Don't worry about being up to date on posts. If a story strikes, post when you can.

And speaking of which, I finally got around to listening to this, and I was surprised that all I felt from this was Meh. But then again, I don't do epilogues well. I think if I read the Nex first, then this story would've been better on me. I reckon I better put it on my read pile.

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Reply #94 on: September 06, 2011, 04:49:12 PM
Yeah, do comment whenever. Sometimes having a new comment show up in the forums for an older story reminds me how much I liked it and maybe I'll listen to it again. :)

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